Chapters
by Lady-Christian-Knight-88
Summary: Things stopped being normal well over a decade ago. So many lives have been turned upsidedown, so many people have been hurt. When brothers paths meet again, will wounds be healed? or reopened? A semi-dark futurefic. Work In Progress. Chapter 4 up.
1. Raphael

Authors Note: Many thanks to fellow fans and friends who beta-read this and gave me lots of encouragement. You know who you are, I can't thank you enough!

Disclaimer: If I owned them, would I be writing fanfiction? Don't think so. Oh, I do own John and Steph. Not that you'll ever hear from them again. Other then that? Not mine. I don't even own the ally this chapter happens in.

Raphael tensed, waiting. They had no idea that he was watching them. If he had his way, it would stay like that. Raph stood on the roof, hidden by the tall shadows of the buildings behind him. Without a sound, he observed the 'transaction' while it took place, fighting down the bile that rose in his throat at the mere thought of what he was witnessing.

Drugs. Raph could understand in some way what could make a person turn to them. Heck, he'd even experimented one time right after he left New York. Still, he'd never understand the kind of warped mind that could sell them to desperate teens. He'd never show compassion to someone that twisted. Instead, he would use all of his empathy for the kids, the ones he now watched and who he believed to be the real victims here.

The teens began walking away. That was Raph's cue and so he leapt down from the roof, silent and still in the shadows, only allowing them to see his dark outline. "Hello." He said nonchalantly as though there for an arranged meeting. "I think you guys have something you don't need."

Only one of the boys spoke. "Why is it your business?" The voice was cool and collected, not at all what Raphael had expected from a boy who should have been more startled instead.

Without hesitation, the shadow answered him, "Because I don't want any of you to get caught when I call the authorities."

The same boy spoke again. He was obviously the leader of the half-dozen kids. He eyed Raph, who was currently blocking their path and keeping them from continuing with their evening. "You're bluffing." He challenged the shadow.

Raph paused a moment, caught off guard. It was true, he was bluffing. He didn't have the means or the desire to call the police. Although he was surprised that this kid had called his bluff, what was even more amazing was the boy had been so calm when he did it.

Pushing the thought aside, Raph smirked at the kid. He knew the kids couldn't see his face, let alone his expression, but the smirk carried naturally into his voice. "Smart kid," He commented. "Too bad you're not smart enough to see you're killing yourself and letting your friends do the same."

"Who says he isn't?" Another voice broke in, this one female. The voice was so cold it gave Raphael the chills. That was saying something considering how chilled his own voice and attitude had become over the past ten years.

"Shut up, Steph." The young man snapped. Raph assumed the boy was the leader among these kids. Then, to Raph, he asked, "So since you were bluffing about calling the cops, I repeat my question. Why do you care?"

"Possibly so I won't have to kick all your butts to stop you from doing something stupid." Raphael answered casually, not missing a beat.

"Another bluff?" The kid inquired.

Oh, that tone was so familiar, Raph thought. It sounded like someone who loved a challenge and had just been provided with one. "Nope." Raphael answered. "No bluffing this time."

"'fraid you'll have to prove that." The young man challenged.

Raph studied the boy. His eyes were a deep shade of blue, a blue that was all too familiar and a color he hadn't been able to stand for years. "If you knew as much as you thought you did, 'fraid you wouldn't want me to." He answered in kind.

"You're outnumbered." The boy responded casually. "Six to one. Not good odds."

"Numbers don't mean anything to me, kid." Raph responded, his voice taking on the same calmness. "Now you seem pretty smart, but you're sure not acting like it."

"No" the kid argued, "You're the one acting like an idiot."

"John" Steph protested, "Let's just get out of here. I wanna get high." Her voice had gone from cold to whiny in seconds. It was obvious her 'need' was becoming critical.

"And you're calling me an idiot?" Raph cut in, nodding towards the girl in hopes of proving a point.

A small flash of reflected light came from behind the boy. It flashed again and Raph could tell that it was from a pocketknife. John, the boy, had his back to it, but he obviously knew what was happening. "Cool it, Steph." He ordered. He then spoke to Raph "Yeah basically."

Raph looked behind the kids. The dealers were starting to pack up. "Look I don't wanna fight you guys. I have bigger fish to fry I was just hoping to make you guys change your minds."

"Well good luck with your bigger fish 'cause you didn't have much here." The leader answered sarcastically.

Raph shifted on his feet, deciding. He then met the boy's gaze but in the next moment, he saw him shudder. Had he been seen? It didn't seem likely. If he had, John's reaction would have been much stronger than a simple tremor. Even the bravest human would have had more reaction than that! There was a thoughtful look in the boy's deep blue eyes; the blue that Raph couldn't stand. "I'm not so sure about that." Raph answered. Then, he moved deeper into the shadows. His outline disappeared from view of the small gang. All they heard was his voice, now resigned to the situation, "Go. I'm not gonna stop you but don't expect to find your source here next time."

The leader hesitated, looking back at those who sold him the dope. Raph almost expected the boy to turn around and run back towards the dealers to warn them. Preparing for such a reaction, Raph drew his sais. Instead, the boy spoke to his gang, nodding in the opposite direction, "Let's go."

As the six kids walked past, Raph shook his head. With his indifference towards the possible fate of others, the similarity that Raph had nearly thought he'd seen vanished. This kid had absolutely nothing to support the idea. Infact, Raph wasn't even sure where the thought had come from. Maybe those eyes... The kid was a real peace of work. One Raph wouldn't mind teaching a thing or to. But as he said, he had bigger fish to fry. Twirling his sais Raph crept through the ally, mentally preparing himself for battle.  
  
His only thought made enough sense to vocalize; even in a whisper, "It's about time."


	2. Donatello

The cool night breeze felt good as it stirred around him. Even now, years after his last day of living the life of a ninja, Donatello still felt one thing the same as he had in his teen years. He felt peace that came just from being outside at night. That combined with the peace of just himself and a project...it was physically impossible for him to get more relaxed.  
  
"Hey Don."  
  
Although he usually hated interruption while working, Donny could easily make an exception for this young woman. Shutting the rather large binder and placing it next to him on the bleacher, he smiled up at the girl. "Hi Courtney. How are you doing?"  
  
"Good." The 15-year-old responded as she took a seat on the bleacher bench right below him. "Was Blake here today?"  
  
Don thought for a second, then shook his head. "No...come to think of it he hasn't been here for days."  
  
"That's bizarre. When he found out that a ninja taught the school's self- defense class, all he could talk about was completing all three basic years and going on to get advanced training. He was really into the whole idea."  
  
Don smiled and shook his head. "That's most likely the problem. He learned that it's more then just an idea."  
  
Courtney shrugged, than asked "Have you thought about what weapon you're gonna let Charlie train with next month?"  
  
The turtle winced. "Yeah." He responded. "His fighting style would certainly compliment the sai...but I'm not sure..."  
  
Courtney looked at her friend and teacher sympathetically and shook her head. "Your brother?"  
  
Donny shook his head, but dispelled a sidelong smile anyways "How do you do that?"  
  
The teenager laughed and brushed her windblown shoulder-length jet-black hair back behind her, then answered with a question. "How long have I known you, again?"  
  
"Point taken." Don responded. "But you're getting a little too good at reading me for my comfort."  
  
Courtney shrugged "Well...I've always assumed that being able to read people is just another thing you taught me." Her voice took on a joking tone and she said "Thus, I learned from the best."  
  
Don pretended to think for a moment, then said "Nope. Don't think I taught you that. You better quit attributing all your talents to my teaching."  
  
Courtney shrugged and turned around to face him, feet dangling. "I wouldn't know about that. I learned practically everything I know from you." Then she turned back to the more serious topic. "Look...I know how much it hurts, but Raphael made his own choice. So did Leo, so did Mikey, and so did you. You need to deal with it, just like you always have."  
  
Donny sighed. "That's just it. Raph didn't make his own choice."  
  
"Yeah, I know Don. But seriously. Your brother uses sai, so what? If you think that's the weapon Charlie's most suited for, give it to him."  
  
Don studied her for a moment. "You were just learning to write your name when I last saw Raphael. What makes you such an expert?"  
  
Courtney was about to give an answer that would continue the discussion, but instead she paused and tilted her head. The night breeze ruffled her hair again pushing it over her shoulder. Brushing it back again, she asked "Is it my imagination, or have we had this conversation before?"  
  
Donny laughed. "Chances are we've had it before." Then, with a glance at his watch, he commented "Hey, it's getting late. Shouldn't you be heading home?"  
  
Courtney looked down at her feet, then over her shoulder at the football field. "I asked my mom if I could stay with you tonight. I hope you don't mind."  
  
"No problem." Donny answered. It was fun having the girl over. She reminded him of all his siblings combined into one person. She possessed the determination, concentration, and emotional strength that Donatello would always think of Leo when he saw. Yet she somehow managed to balance that with the carefree attitude towards life that reminded him of Mikey. And when she got mad...well...only person who could come close to being that angry is Raphael. The fact that she had his own inclination towards science only served to make him feel even more related to her.  
  
"Good." Courtney said, relief too evident in her voice. "Mom and I had a fight this morning...I wasn't looking forward to going back home."  
  
"Courtney..." Donny's voice took on a warning tone. "You can't keep using me to escape your problems...you know better then anyone you have to face them." Courtney sighed. "Yeah, I know...but I just can't right now. It's bizarre, I can tell people what they need to do, but doing it myself? That's a little harder."  
  
Awkward silence descended for a moment, then, gesturing at the binder, which was still resting beside Donatello. "Need some help grading papers?"  
  
"Sure." Donnie said, picking up the binder. "Let's go back to my classroom...We're working on our acid and bases lab, and I need to grade the questions in back."  
  
Courtney groaned. "Don...no offence, but is it your duty to torture those poor freshmen?" Donnie did a double-take as he got to his feet. Courtney stood too, and continued "Seriously, that was thee worst lab you ever gave us." She paused a moment...then said "Of course...I may be biased. I was absent the day you handed out the papers."  
  
Don could only just laugh. 


	3. Michalanglo

Michelangelo sighed with exhaustion as he slumped into his recliner and kicked off his shoes. He then picked them up and sat them neatly at the side of the chair. Mike knew that he had never been a clean person. However, he never thought he would ever have this new lifestyle with neater habits, either.  
  
Once he was done with that, he grabbed the handy remote control and clicked on the television. The TV guide channel was already going, so Mikey watched the scrolling information carefully. His hours were so crazy he was never sure what was on when he returned home anymore. That's what made the TV guide channel the most common channel he viewed.  
  
"Mikey?" A voice called from the kitchen. "Is that you?"  
  
"Yeah, Shana." Mikey responded, relaxing into his seat "Who else would it be?"  
  
A young woman with slightly curly shoulder-length blond hair emerged from the kitchen, carrying two steaming mugs of something and grinning. "Hot cocoa?" She asked, her voice gentle and joking at the same time. It conveyed both a lighthearted answer to his question as well as a question of hers. That was truly what he loved about Shana most...her sense of humor.  
  
"You were expecting hot cocoa?" Mikey asked with a playful mock-offended tone, accepting the mug she offered him. "Thanks." He said, leaning back in the chair as far as he could. Shana took it for what it was - an invitation to sit on his lap...so she did. "Dinner's in the oven." Shana said simply. "Thanks for defrosting it this morning."  
  
Mikey laugh slightly, still looking past her to see the TV. "Well...with how you are about that kitchen, that's the closest I can get to cooking anymore!"  
  
Shana flipped her shoulder-length blond hair as she turned to face him, cutting off his view of the TV. "Maybe I'd let you cook more if you didn't make a mess every time!" It was her typical argument whenever he asked to do anything in the kitchen other than small things, like defrosting or doing the dishes. "Hey! So I don't cook clean!" Mikey protested good-naturedly "Got a problem with that?" Leaning against him, Shana looked up at him and smiled mischievously. "Maybe." She said her voice dropping to a low tone. His view of the TV was cleared, but he didn't care anymore. He just looked down at her, laughing slightly and smiling appreciatively.  
  
A moment of silence followed before Mikey spoke again, this time awe in his voice. "Who woulda thought. A literal party animal like me..."  
  
"With a good, steady demanding job?" Shana asked, hoping she'd finished his sentence for him. While most couples shared a bond that allowed them to think alike and even finish each other's sentences, Shana found it hard to do with Mikey. It was disappointing to find that following his thoughts to conclusion without hearing them spoken were far and few between for her.  
  
Mikey smiled contentedly at the young woman, whom he loved more then anything. Their relationship had always been hard to define, though. Yet, how they felt towards one another, that much was clear. Shana may have found her ability to read Mike somewhat lacking, but it actually gave him the advantage and opportunity to be romantic. Surprising her with lavish gifts and tokens of love amused him like no other since it always caught her unaware.  
  
Her ash gray eyes twinkled as she smiled back at him. She'd long since stopped worrying about it, so Mikey was free to tell her what he was currently thinking, "Actually...I was gonna say, sitting here with the girl of my dreams in my arms."  
  
Shana chuckled, but didn't make a sound as she did. The only sign of her laughter was the shaking in her chest. Reaching up, Shana traced her finger along the bottom half of the almost invisible scar that ran across Mikey's face. It had always fascinated Shana, but once he'd told her the story of how he had acquired it, she'd stopped mentioning it. Now, she only noticed it when she was tired. "Love you." Shana whispered to him sleepily, cuddling deeper against him.  
  
"I love you too." Mikey responded, holding her slightly closer. "Long day?"  
  
"You didn't hear?" Shana responded questioningly, slightly confused, as she put her arms around him.  
  
Mikey shook his head, growing worried. If Shana had expected him to know about something that happened at the hospital, it must've been bad. "What happened, Li?" he asked her, hoping to convey his concern by using her special nickname. He was the only one allowed to call her that; a derivative of her middle name, Alison. Of course, Mikey used it as his creative version of Sweetie.  
  
"Car pileup." She responded simply, her tone hinting that she wanted to reassure him, though she didn't have any reasons to do so. "No idea where from...I was in and out of the OR for almost five hours straight, though. That's why dinner's late tonight; I had to work a few extra hours."  
  
Mikey instinctively pulled her closer to him. Watching and assisting the doctors in the operating rooms was often difficult for her. He didn't dare ask how many had been injured, as Mike was sure he'd find out the next day at his own job. "I'm sorry Li, I had no idea."  
  
Shana shook it off and leaned into his gentle hold. "It's okay, really." She pulled herself up slightly and kissed him lightly on the side of the mouth. Despite sharing a bed, this was as intimate as they ever became due to the complications of being different species. Sipping their hot cocoa, they both watched the TV guide channel in really caring anymore to read what was on or paying any attention to the stupid infomercial. All they wanted was to sit there holding each other close.  
  
Finally, Shana inquired, "How'd your day at work go?"  
  
She just had to ask, didn't she? He'd been hoping to talk to her about it. He wanted to just say 'frustrating' and leave it at that. Yet, with what she'd gone though that day...  
  
"I've got a new partner." Mikey responded finally, his tone hinting that it was no big deal. "His name's Alex...still a rookie. He's been on the force six months."  
  
Shana squealed in delight. "That's wonderful!" she exclaimed. "That means Justin finally took that promotion then, right" Mikey nodded, and Shana snuggled deeper against him and asked "Does this mean you get to drive now?"  
  
He'd never stop being impressed with her. Mikey knew from experience what sort of thing she dealt with every day. Heck, sometimes he'd see it first hand if the police were called to the scene. He at least had an idea of what she went though. Yet she could still get excited over little things. Like him driving the squad car for instance.  
  
"Yep." Mikey answered, deciding not to ruin her suddenly good mood. "Should be fun...Alex just got out of being a trainee." No need to let her know he was an arrogant little jerk who annoyed the heck out of him. "I'll miss Justin though." That was an understatement of the century.  
  
Shana looked up at Mikey, then at the TV. She gasped when she saw the time. "Why hasn't the timer..." leaping to her feet, Shana raced back to the kitchen in a rush.  
  
Mike slowly got to his feet, clicking off the television. As he made his way towards the kitchen, he heard a sharp buzzing sound. The timer. Poor Shana, she panicked if things were even a moment off. Of course, with her job she had a right to. By the time he made it to the kitchen, she was frantically pulling a pan out of the oven and then placing it hard it on the counter. A steaming well-done roast sat in the pan. Shana dropped her hot pad in a huff as she stared at the disaster.  
  
Rushing over, Mikey stopped a foot behind her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. She turned, and fell into his waiting embrace, sobbing. The current moment of stress had been the last straw. Mike knew what was best for her right then, and only hoped she'd agree to it.  
  
"It's almost eleven, and I think we need to go to bed." he suggested sternly.  
  
"B...but...the roast..." Shana protested tearfully.  
  
"Can wait." Mikey interrupted gently, holding her close. He hated it when she became like this...she was so sensitive. Harsh days affected her badly. While she usually bounced back quickly enough, when it happened at night she needed a lot of TLC. "Right now, you get to bed, I'll put it in the fridge. We can heat it up and have it tomorrow. Or we can share a plateful in bed."  
  
Shana's sobs quieted. She slowly looked up and kissed the corner of his mouth again before whispering, "I love you Mikey." Then, she turned and left for the bedroom. He grinned, and as he grabbed a plate, he muttered, "I'm the luckiest turtle in the world." Breaking off a handful of the perfectly tender roast, Mike sat it on the plate and then proceeded to place the rest of it, still in the pan, into the fridge.  
  
As he started to leave the kitchen, he stopped in the doorway. Shaking his head, he realized that this much normalcy was way bad for both of them. It was time for a turtle-style change. Already grinning, Mikey checked to make sure he had the plate carefully balanced in his hand and then shouted, "Cowabunga!" bursting into their bedroom at a full speed run.  
  
By the time he was charging into the room, Shana was laughing! 


	4. Leonardo

Leonardo rolled over, practically on his stomach; sleep was almost impossible with so much on his mind. He usually stayed away from missing persons cases. Especially if he thought they'd take him out of the city. Picking up the 2x3 photo, Leo studied the scowling boy, realizing yet again that there was just something about this person, something that he couldn't put his finger on. Could've been the look in those brown eyes, a look that what Leo saw in most pictures he associated with the mood, "Get that camera out of my face". Nevertheless, in this picture, it looked more like a permanent expression.  
  
Then again, maybe what bothered him most was he had learned the kid had talked about LA before he disappeared. There was more then enough reason to suspect the kid was a runaway, and if he had run away then that was likely where he'd gone. Yet, why was that important? Leo shook his head. Yeah, he'd wanted to apologize for years. Yeah, he regretted what he'd said. Would he ever actually do it?  
  
The answer, once a resounding no, suddenly came into his head as a 'maybe'. He'd usually turn down something like this. So why wasn't he doing that now? He tried to tell himself it was the distraught tone in the voice of the boy's mother, but in all honesty, he usually passed desperate people off to one of his colleagues. Cold as it was, he typically never felt he could handle them. Maybe it was the father. Acting so similar to how Leo himself had behaved ten years ago. That the day had changed their lives forever and it was one of three events that had occurred in just under five years that had made such an impact on him and his family.  
  
Ten years. Had it really been that long? Raph may not even be living in LA anymore. He'd contacted Mikey once or twice since leaving...but Mikey was reluctant to talk about it around Leo. He received most of his information on Raph third-hand from Donnie. Still...he hadn't even talked to Mikey or Donnie for months. Their last conversation had been a three-way call on Christmas Eve. He'd never really forgiven himself for letting the family split up.  
  
It was his fault anyway. He'd blamed Raphael at the time, and he'd regretted it ever since. Still...he'd had his reasons for forcing Raphael to leave, hadn't he? Hadn't he?  
  
He really should quit thinking about this and get some sleep...but the moment he closed his eyes, the memory overwhelmed him. Tempted to sit up, he decided, instead, to live with just the flashbacks. Maybe, then, he'd be able to get some sleep.

* * *

**_FLASHBACK_**

* * *

"You WHAT?" Raphael demanded to know, his anger rising.  
  
Leo sighed as he repeated for the 'nth time "I signed up for a correspondence course in Private Investigating. What's wrong with that?"  
  
"And they're letting you in?" Raphael asked in disbelief, nearly barking out a laugh.   
  
"Look, Raph, it's the closest way I can get back to doing what I was trained to do. You know we'll never be able to go back to 'life as usual'." Leo paused, then added, "Besides...don't think I didn't see you going through the help wanted ads earlier."  
  
"That's not what I'm talking about and you know it." Raph argued. "How long do you think this acceptance is gonna last, huh? You know the world only stopped thinking of us as monsters when Master Splinter died. Only reason we got citizenship is 'cause the government felt sorry for us. You don't really think it would last, did you?"  
  
"Whether it will or not, we can't just turn our backs on it." Leo argued. Raphael remained silent, with Leo continuing. "I know it's not easy...and I...I feel like I'm turning my back on everything I ever knew. Still...others recognize us as people, even if we're not human beings. That doesn't just mean we don't have to hide anymore...it also means we can't break the rules."  
  
"That's your opinion." Raph responded. "I never agreed to any of this."  
  
"None of us did!" Leo practically shouted. "But don't blame me for it!"  
  
Well who else should I blame?" Raphael snapped.  
  
The argument had grown out of hand, and they both knew it...but nether were willing to back down and apologize. Leo's response was instant...and he regretted it immediately afterwards. "I don't know, maybe you?"  
  
He knew he went too far that time...so he wasn't surprised when Raphael took a swing at him. It was easy enough to duck, but the kick coming from the other direction sent him falling backwards. Leo back flipped and sprang to his feet. Still, by the time he was up, Raphael had his sai drawn.  
  
Leo only hesitated for a moment, but that moment was long enough for Raph to charge at him. Leo had his Katana out less than a second later. The two weapons clashed...and Leo found himself asking his brother, "You really want to do this?"  
  
Raphael spun and slashed. Leo ducked expertly, while Raph simply answered, "You saw this coming three years ago."   
  
It was true...he had seen this coming. Everyone had, actually. It wasn't as if this was the first time they'd ended up in a physical confrontation. There was something different about it this time, though, some feeling that Leo sensed. The fact that Raph's comment about how it had been building up for three years had hinted at it, too. It wasn't their usual fight...something had changed. Leo didn't want to think about it...but a nagging voice in the back of his mind insisted it knew the difference. This time...it was for real.  
  
The continuation of their physical dispute lasted for several minutes...neither of the brothers willing to stop or call it off. Despite both knowing that it was getting out of hand, it had gone from a simple argument to a fight for the sake of settling the argument. Now, somehow, the fight had escalated into a full-fledged battle.  
  
Leo didn't even notice when Mikey entered. The fight had intensified nearly to the feel of a life-or-death situation. He and Raphael were fighting with all of their skill...proving once again how close to being evenly matched they were. "Raph..." Leo said, his voice calmed since the last time they'd spoken. The fight had done its job...and Leo could think clearly again.  
  
Raphael didn't listen. Instead, he twirled, his sai coming straight at Leo. Leo jumped backwards and knocked Raph's hand down, kicking out as he did so. His brother went down for an instant, but rolled forward, head down. The tip of his shell crashed into Leo's knees, forcing the blue- masked turtle down. Raph was on his feet an instant later, standing over Leo, who back rolled again, right into the wall.  
  
Standing up, Leo realized his back was literally to the wall. He made eye contact with his brother. For the first time, the feeling of fierceness to the fight seemed justified. He'd seen that look in Raphael's eyes before...and suddenly he realized for the first time he may have actually put himself in danger by engaging in this fight. For the first time, Leo was afraid of his own brother.  
  
"Raphael, stop." Leo demanded. Raphael didn't. He advanced. "Raph..." Leo said, trying to force a light tone into his voice. "That's enough...you got me." Raphael didn't seem to hear him. There was something wrong. Leo realized that he'd been practically whispering. His brother may have had no idea what he'd been saying. "Raph!" He shouted "Back off!" his voice was commanding even as it betrayed his sudden fear.   
  
What happened next occurred too quickly to observe. Upon later reflection Leo would realize that Raph had started to stop, but before he could, arms came around from behind pulling him back. Instead of stepping back, however, Raph turned, his left sai coming down and slashing. The turtle who had attempted to interfere collapsed to the ground with a cry of pain a cry that finished snapping Raphael back out of the daze he'd been in since the fight began. "Mikey?" He said worriedly, kneeling by his brother and dropping his weapons. "Mikey! Oh, man Mikey? Are you alright?"  
  
Leo grabbed hold of Raphael's shoulder, yanking him back. Raphael fell, too stunned by his own actions to resist. "Stay away from him!" Leo ordered, taking the place by his brother. "Mikey? Mikey? Are you O.K.?"  
  
Mikey's hand pressed tightly against his face while tears rolled down his cheeks. He looked like he wanted to curl himself up inside his shell and hide there. When Leo gently touched his arm and said "Let me see..." Mikey flinched away, crying.  
  
Rage surged through Leo unexpectedly as he rose back up to his feet, standing over a stunned Raphael. "Get out." he ordered, voice sharper then either of his swords had ever been.  
  
"Leo..." Raphael protested, sounding lost and afraid.  
  
"No." Leo snapped, still beyond furious. "Whatever you're going to say, I don't want to hear it. I want you to go. Now."  
  
"Leo...I..." Raphael stumbled over his words. "I'm sorry...I didn't mean..." He was clearly devastated; however Leo either couldn't, or wouldn't, see it.  
  
"You just tried to kill me and you've injured Mikey. We don't know how badly either. You've always been a loose cannon, Raph, but now you've proven yourself too dangerous to stay around. Now get out, and never come back."

* * *

**_END OF FLASHBACK  
_**

* * *

Later, he'd been guilt-ridden. He'd tried to find Raph...but it was too late. He'd tracked him to the bus station and arrived a half an hour after a bus had departed for Los Angelus. Leo then learned that one of the passengers matched Raph's description. Donnie had told Leo later that he'd done the right thing, or rather, what was right for the moment.  
  
Mikey hadn't been able to talk about it, not ever. He'd tried to act as if it was normal for there only to be three of them...but soon, he enrolled in police academy, throwing himself into his schooling and his part-time job. However, once Donnie moved out, not even all of that was enough to hold off the awkwardness. Mikey still came home, but with Don gone, there wasn't a buffer to make their problems easier to handle. Consequently, Mikey continued to have difficulty being around Leo, the scar over Mikey's eye a constant reminder of what Leo had come to consider as his greatest mistake.  
  
Now, all four of them have their own, separate lives with at least three of them happy, or, as close to happy as you could get when at odds with family. Yet, one runaway brown-haired boy had changed that...at least for Leo. Maybe it was the story behind this kid...maybe it was simply that the boy reminded him of Raphael. It didn't matter. Leo was going find the kid and bring him home safely, no matter what - even if that included a meeting with his long-estranged brother. He'd do it for the kid and, truth be told, Leo was almost hoping for one. 


	5. Casey and April

"Get up! Get up! Get up!"  
  
The bed dropped and rose uncomfortably under him. Only bothering to bite back a swear word because there was a three-year-old in the room, Casey rolled over and looked at his alarm clock.  
  
6:49AM. Crap.  
  
Groaning, Casey sat up and interrupted the chant of the bouncing little boy. "Alright, I'm up."

"Yay!" The child exclaimed, leaping up one last time and landing hard in a sitting position a few inches away from Casey. The bed transferred the motion, causing Casey to bounce about half an inch into the air before plopping back onto his bed. "Mommy said you need to get up or you'd be late for school."

Casey groaned. What had ever possessed him to take a job that required such an early wake-up? Not to mention working with kids day in and day out. Of course, shop and PE had been the only two classes he'd never been in danger of failing back when he'd been in school but...still. Who would've thought he'd ever be teaching them?

"Well, if I'm gonna be late for school then that means you'd be late for preschool. And we don't want that."

The look of sheer horror on the three-year-olds' face betrayed all-to-clearly his feelings about THAT. "No!" the child exclaimed. "Not late!"

"Well...you don't have to be." Casey responded, throwing his legs over the edge of the bed. "Go ask mommy what you need to do to be ready. I'll be out in a minute."

The little red-head's enthusiasm shot right back up. "O.K.!" and with that, he leapt off the room and was out the door in a second. Casey shook his head and got to his feet. That kid was seriously the ultimate example of cute. Further evidenced when his head poked back through the doorway and he asked "Can I go see Uncle Don after preschool?"

"Don't see why not." Casey responded. "Better ask your mom to be sure though."

And he was off again.

Once dressed, Casey practically flew down the steps. He almost tripped when he reached the bottom, but caught himself easily enough as he shifted direction and started in the direction of the kitchen. As he entered the dining room, there was a squeal from the other side of the small room.

"Daddy!" the 7-year-old yelled, bolting across the room at him and leaping into the air at the last possible second. Casey snatched her in mid-jump and grabbed his daughter into a hug. "Hey kiddo. Whacha up to?"

"Setting the table. Then I gotta go clean out the cat box." The little girl wrinkled the nose at the thought of her other chore that morning. Casey sighed as he put her down. "Mom says that if I keep up like I have been, I may get off my extra chores duty early."

"That's great." Casey said. "In fact, that calls for a celebration. How 'bout we go see your Uncle Mike after school? Maybe get some pizza. Let's just hope he doesn't eat it all himself"

The girl's eyes shone. "Really?" She inquired, pleadingly.

"Really." Casey answered. "Well...if your mom says it's O.K."

The hopeful expression weakened. "Oh." She mumbled, waking across the room to return to her chore. "I know even after I quit being punished I'll still have to set the table...but it's just so...so...so..."

"So..." Casey prompted.

"So BOREING!" his daughter finally exclaimed as she set the last of the forks in place.

"Alyssa..." Casey began, having known this was coming. The truth was, having the kids do things, like setting the table and taking out the garbage, had been a source of small argument early on. Now, while Casey agreed it was for the best, it always irked him when the kids started complaining about it. because he usually agreed with their complaints. "We've already been over that. Just be thankful you'll be back to one chore a day when your mom and I agree you've learned your lesson."

The 7-year-old shot her father an accusing look. "I already have and you know it."

Casey shrugged. "Hey, you're just as boneheaded as me, and your mom knows it. So she knows she's gotta drill things into you pretty hard before it'll stick."

"Believe me." The girl said. "I'm DRILLED." Suddenly, she paused, and asked "did you just call me boneheaded?"

Casey, in an attempt to avoid the question, said "uhhh...I'm gonna go check on your mom now."

Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Yeah, right, sure, avoid the question, but I'll get you in the car!"

Casey hurried through the dining room into the kitchen. He loved his daughter more then just about anything. But he was seriously NOT looking forward to her pre teen and teen years. She had her mother's brain and his temper, a combination that had already proven dangerous. Like what had caused her punishment of extra chores...she'd smashed her old playhouse kitchen when she'd learned her brother wanted it for science experiments.

Just like her old man. Only...minus the baseball bat or hockey stick.

Both sports had become something of a family joke over the years. The kids teased along...though they didn't understand the back story behind it. And Casey and his wife agreed very strongly that it should stay that way.

As he entered the kitchen, Casey felt his breath catch in his chest. They'd been married for almost ten years, and he still couldn't get use to just how gorgeous she was. Slowly, and silently, he crossed the kitchen. He knew she knew he was coming, she couldn't have missed the racket in the other room, but they both enjoyed pretending.

As he came up to her, he put his arms around her waist and rested his chin on her shoulder. "What's a beautiful lady like you doing in my kitchen?" He teased.

"You married me. Remember?" she responded, also teasing.

"Oh yeah." Casey answered, turning his head and resting his cheek on her shoulder. "I remember now." And with that, he planted a kiss on her neck...burying his nose in her long red hair. He was rewarded first by a giggle...then by the shoulder jerking abruptly backwards then up and around, forcing him up and off.

"Later." April said firmly.

"Awwww..." Casey mock-protested as he backed away slightly. Casey grinned at his wife from a slight distance. "Why not now?"

"You know very well why not, Mr. Jones." April, formerly O'Neil, snapped.

Casey playfully crossed his arms over his chest. "Do you realize you take all the fun out of life, Mrs. Jones?"

A voice called from the dining room. "Do you realize that there were people in my class LAST YEAR more mature then the two of you?"

Alyssa's comment brought about a laugh. "You know." April began "she has a point."

"A very good point." Casey agreed. Wrapping his arms around his wife again, he added "But who needs maturity?"

Suddenly, the four-year-old boy walked into the kitchen. Without a word, he opened one of the bottom cabinet doors and started searching for something.

"Whacha looking for, sport?" Casey asked, turning around to watch his son and make sure he didn't completely crawl under the sink.

"The garbage bags." The boy stated mater-of-factly. "I 'membered that today's chore was taking out the trash...so I did it already. The can needs a new bag, right?"

"You walked all the way to the sidewalk by yourself?" April asked, worried.

The boy shook his head. "Uh-uh. No way. I left the garbage bag by the bottom step. I was gonna take it to the can on the way to preschool."

"That's...very...responsible of you, C.J."

The boy grinned. "Really? You mean it? I'm respon...respon..." suddenly, his grin faded as he struggled with the too-long word.

"Responsible." April understood "Yes, you are."

The grin returned and his eyes sparkled. "Could you tell Uncle Don? If he knows I'm 'sponsable he'll let me use his beakers! He said so!"

"Sure thing sport." Casey said, putting a hand on his boy's shoulder. "I'll tell Uncle Don today at school."

The boy's eyes danced as he shouted "Yay!" and practically leapt from the room. Casey and April looked at each other, but before any words could be exchanged, their son came bouncing back in. "Forgot the garbage bag." He stated, hurrying through and grabbing the required box from under the sink before bolting back out of the room.

"He so does not get that from me." Casey stated.


End file.
